CHAPTER 4

Controversy
& Ethics

Group 1
Chapter 4:
Controversy and
Ethics
Media ethics addresses moral issues arising in
connection with the acquisition, preparation,
storage, presentation, dissemination, and reception
of information through the means of mass media.

A content is always a pivotal ethical issue that

centers on the question of what ideas and
behaviors should be fostered and modeled in
public discourse and in popular culture productions.
While ethical norms relating to the media may vary,
and while practitioners and media audiences
around the world may disagree as to appropriate
media content and practices, certain issues are
standard in media ethics concerns.

A producer, writer, actor, or director may decide to

tackle controversial material for a variety of
reasons. A controversy with associated with ethics 2
should arise in a clear approach.
 Language: English
Also known as: Virus mortal
Fatal Contact: Bird Filming locations: New Zealand
Production company: American Broadcasting
Flu in America Company (ABC)
A 2006 film

• Disaster • Drama •Television

A bird flu virus mutates and spreads
across different parts of the world, Storyline;
causing major disruption. It gives rise to
another civil war in the US, due to - outbreak of avian flu mutates into a
shortage of food, medicines and
electricity.
virus that becomes transmittable
from human to human.
Director: Richard Pearce
Writer: Ron McGee
Details
Release date: May 9, 2006 (United
States)
An ABC two-hour TV movie 3

Countries of origin: New Zealand • which first aired May 9, 2006

United States
The “Jenny Jones Show” Murder
4
THE JURY AND JENNY JONES
 THE JURY & JENNY JONES
The “Jenny Jones Show” Murder
What led to the so called Jenny Jones Murder? Following the criminal trial, there was a civil
- Jenny Jones Show (Same-Sex Secret Crush) trial, what was that about?
-Scott Amedure, 32 yr. old bartender from Oakland City Michigan - The family of the murdered man sued the
-Jonathan Schmitz, 24 yr.old waiter, crush of Amedure Jenny Jones Show, it's parent company
-Jonathan found an anonymous sexually suggestive note on his Warner Bros and the Production company
doorstep (March 9,1995) Telepictures for negligence (1999)

Was Jonathan Schmitz Homophobic? What was the evidence of negligence?

- No one could testify -Producers and producer's assistant made
- Bipolar their initial contact with potential guests they
- Had suicidal tendencies filled out a "plug sheet" with comments on
- suffered occasional psychotic episodes each person.
- grave disease -John Schmidt->Jon Schmitz (3/2/95).
- thyroid condition - Dear Diary
- incident from childhood - The day before each show, the producer
5
Didn't the Jenny Jones Show tell him that the secret admirer could be a provided Jenny Jones with a rundown of the
man? guests and circumstances in each segment.
- Schmitz was told that the person could be a man or woman.
 How did the Jenny Jones Show defend itself?

- Jenny Jones, executive producers, the show What did the Jury decide in the Civil
producers, the associate producers denied all the truth Case?
and obviously the sordid nature of the show. - 8-1 in favor of the Amedures.
-"lighthearted" and "fun"
- "cute" and "romantic love story") Did Jenny Jones Show Any Conditions
-Jenny Jones denied that they ever strove for after the Verdict?
sensationalism in their work. - No, quite the opposite.
- it's about homophobia
What were your conclusion? - We have a right to give a venue to
-Jenny Jones Show acted unethically and negligently. It was real people, we don't discriminate.
intentional deceit with a reckless disregard for the
consequences.
But the Jury is supposed to
The Amedure Family's High-Profile Attorney Geoffrey Fieger discriminate, isn't it?
gave an impassioned closing argument, Didn't he? - Yes between truth and lies, right and
- This is a case about exploitation and ultimately responsibility. wrong. 6
- The deceit of Jenny Jones Show led to Jonathan's"descent
into madness".
The legal team representing the Jenny Jones showed vowed the verdict
would be overturned on appeal, were they right?
- Yes, They were.
- "the epitome of bad taste and sensationalism"
- "reasonably foreseeable"
- " natural and probable results of the events of the show"
- Same sex secret crush was never broadcast
- Jenny Jones Show went off in 2003.

What lesson should we take from this case?

- Just because something is allowable does not mean it's ethical. And, if
a job in the entertainment industry requires that you check your
conscience and integrity at the elevator, it's not likely in the big picture
it'll be worth it.

Jenny Jones Jonathan Schmitz Scott Amedure

 To Catch a Predator is an American reality television series
CATCHING A
PREDATOR
A series that features hidden camera
investigations by the television news
magazine program Dateline NBC that raises
a number of additional ethical questions.
The story aired on September 2007.
The show didn't ultimately cave to criticism
about "entrapment." By going to the location
of their own volition to try and sleep with
someone they believed to be a minor, the
perps on To Catch a Predator were freely
attempting to engage in illegal activity on
their own. So, it wasn't really entrapment. 8
 O.J. SIMPSON
Also known as Orenthal James
Simpson
• He was once a popular figure with the U.S. public,
he is now best known for being tried for the murders
of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her
friend, Ron Goldman. Simpson was acquitted of the
murders in criminal court but was later found
responsible for both deaths in a civil trial on the year
1995.

• Some 10 years later, in November of 2006, when

News Corp. announced Fox’s sweeps strategy to air
a two-part interview with Simpson based on a book
titled “If I Did It”, a book that speculates on how
Simpson would have committed the murders, has he
done them, the controversy about O.J. Simpson was
Is an American former football running back, reignited. The interview was called “ O.J. Simpson: 9 If
broadcaster, actor, advertising spokesman, and I Did it, Here’s How It Happened.”
convicted felon.
CROSSING
JORDAN &
CONTROVERCY

Crossing Jordan is an American

crime drama television series created
by Tim Kring, that aired on NBC from
September 24, 2001, to May 16,
2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Dr.
Jordan Cavanaugh, a crime-solving
forensic pathologist employed in the
Massachusetts Office of the Chief
Medical Examiner. In addition to
Jordan, the show followed an
ensemble cast composed of Jordan's
co-workers and police detectives
assigned to the various cases.
After six seasons and 117 episodes, the
series was canceled by NBC on May 14,
10
2007, and concluded on May 16, 2007.
Moreover;

Sex Slaves Edges of the Lord

Plot Summary Plot Summary
• A 2005 documentary film by Ric Esther • A 2001 film, written and directed by Yurek
Bienstock. Bogayevicz.
• A global sex slave trade in women from the • A holocaust movie about a twelve-year old
former Soviet Bloc. The film takes viewers into Jewish boy who is sent to live with a Catholic
the shadowy, multi-billion dollar world of sex- family to save him from the Nazis.
trafficking.

11
CONTROVERSY OR ADVOCACY
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO;

What is Controvercy? What is Advocacy?

- Is a public disagreement with - Is defined as any action that
two sides openly debating. It is speaks in favor of
recommendations, argues for a
also a public dispute or debate. cause, supports or defends, or
pleads on behalf of others.
Example of a controversy:
- A fight between two famous Example of a advocacy:
parents in a custody battle. - A non-profit organization that
works to help women of
Can advocacy lead to controversy? domestic abuse who feel too
When does controversy become afraid to speak for themselves. 12

advocacy?
 Degrassi: The Next
Generation (also
ABORTION known as Degrassi
for seasons 10
Abortion is a procedure to end a pregnancy. It through 14) is a
uses medicine or surgery to remove the Canadian teen drama
embryo or fetus and placenta from the uterus. television series and
the fourth series in
the Degrassi
What makes it advocacy and controversy: franchise, which was
created by Linda
Schuyler and Kit
A Canadian made series that shows a girl
Hood in 1979.
decides to go through with an abortion. This
series aired one of episodes that shows the
procedure to end a pregnancy. 13
 CHILDREN & CONTROVERSY

The California Child Actor’s Bill

• The California Child Actor's

Bill (also known as Coogan
Act or Coogan Bill) is a law
applicable to child
performers, designed to
safeguard a portion of their
earnings for when they reach
the age of majority, and
protect them from
exploitation and abuse. 14
 Paul Peterson
-Paul Peterson who was an original
member of the The Mouseketeers and
the son on The Donba Reed show
(1958-1966) formed an organization
called A Minoe Consideration to
combat what he sees as the abuse of
child actors. He formed the advocacy
group in 1990 the day after child star
Rusty Hammer from the Danny
Thomas Show (1953-1971) committed
suicide.

15
 Hounddog (Drama / Indie Film)
Lewellen (Dakota Fanning) lives with
her grandmother (Piper Laurie) in
Alabama. Though unable to care for
her himself, Lewellen’s father (David
Morse) tries to connect with his
daughter through Elvis Presley’s
music. After her father’s girlfriend
(Robin Wright Penn) – with whom
Lewellen has a special bond – leaves,
Lewellen suffers a horrible sexual
22 January 2007 assault and is traumatized. With some
aid from Elvis’ music, Lewellen’s 16
friend Charles (Afemo Omilami) helps
her work through her pain.
Bastard Out of
Carolina 1996
‧ Drama ‧ 1h 41m • It is based
on the 1992
Anney (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a poor single novel by
mother from the rural South, struggles to raise Dorothy
her young daughter, Bone (Jena Malone).
They seem to find happiness when Anney Allison and
marries a kindly man named Lyle (Dermot adapted for
Mulroney) who treats Bone like his own child.
However, after Lyle is killed in an automobile
the screen
accident, Anney remarries to the hotheaded by Anne
Glen (Ron Eldard), who abuses Bone Meredith.
physically and sexually, and begins to tear the
once tight-knit family apart.

Initial release: 15 December 1996 (USA)

Director: Anjelica Huston
Music by: Van Dyke Parks
17
Adapted from: Bastard Out of Carolina
Produced by: Amanda DiGiulio
Narrated by: Laura Dern
THANK YOU!

GROUP 1
Abarri, Reean Mary
Banga, Edna
Jaji, Dehama Dewie
Maglasang, Theresa
Moscoso, Riza